1. Field of the Disclosure
The field of the disclosure relates to fiber optic cable furcation assemblies for splitting-out optical fibers from a fiber optic cable for establishing fiber optic connections.
2. Technical Background
In telecommunication infrastructure installations, optical fiber is increasingly being used to establish communications connections. Benefits of optical fiber include high bandwidth and low power consumption to provide for efficient communications. Optical fibers can be provided in fiber optic cables. Fiber optic cables include a cable jacket surrounding the optical fibers for protection against environmental factors that can damage the optical fibers. The fiber optic cables can be pulled to fiber optic equipment during installation to establish optical connections. The fiber optic cables may include strength members within the cable jacket, such as aramid fiber, to resist bending forces on the cable jacket, which could otherwise damage the optical fibers. The fiber optic cables are furcated to separate or “break-out” individual optical fibers from the cable jacket of the fiber optic cable to establish optical connections between the optical fibers and fiber optic components contained in the fiber optic equipment.
In this regard, FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional furcation assembly 10 that provides a furcation of a fiber optic cable 12. When furcating a fiber optic cable 12 to create the furcation assembly 10, a process called “break-out” may be provided. The furcation assembly 10 secures the “broken-out” optical fibers 14(1)-14(8) to the cable jacket 18 and/or strength members 20. Break-out occurs at an end portion 26 of the fiber optic cable 12 where an end portion 16 of a cable jacket 18 of the fiber optic cable 12 is removed. The furcation assembly 10 can also be installed on fiber optic equipment to secure the fiber optic cable 12 to the fiber optic equipment to prevent forces on the fiber optic cable 12 from pulling on the “broken out” optical fibers 14(1)-14(8).
With continuing reference to FIG. 1, the furcation assembly 10 includes a furcation body 22 serving as a protective enclosure for the optical fibers 14(1)-14(8). The optical fibers 14(1)-14(8) are bonded inside the furcation body 22 with a potting compound 24, which may be an epoxy. During the furcating process, the “broken out” optical fibers 14(1)-14(8) are inserted through the furcation body 22 so that an end 27 of the cable jacket 18, a portion of the optical fibers 14(1)-14(8) adjacent to the end 27 of the cable jacket 18, and a portion of the strength members 20 adjacent to the end 27 of the cable jacket 18 are disposed within the furcation body 22. The potting compound 24 is disposed in the furcation body 22 to secure the optical fibers 14(1)-14(8) to the strength member 20, the cable jacket 18, and furcation body 22. A seal 28 is applied to the furcation body 22 to prevent the potting compound 24 from escaping out at a bottom 30 of the furcation body 22 where the cable jacket 18 extends out of the furcation body 22. When the potting compound 24 is cured, the optical fibers 14(1)-14(8), the cable jacket 18, and strength members 20 are secured together inside the furcation body 22 via the potting compound 24. The furcation body 22 may then be pulled and/or installed in fiber optic equipment where the optical fibers 14(1)-14(8) are terminated. The furcation body 22 may be then secured to the fiber optic equipment. In this manner, forces on the fiber optic cable 12 may be directed to fiber optic equipment (not shown) instead of the optical fibers 14(1)-14(8).
Furcating a fiber optic cable 12 by use of the potting compound 24 in the furcation body 22 may result in certain issues related to manufacturing and installation. For example, small air bubbles (also called “microbubbles”) may form in the potting compound 24 adjacent to the optical fibers 14(1)-14(8) within the furcation body 22. The air bubbles may cause microbends in the adjacent optical fibers 14(1)-14(8) resulting in signal attenuation as the air bubbles change size with temperature and humidity. The potting compound 24 used in combination with a small interior space of the furcation body 22 may also make it difficult to control and monitor the relationship between the strength members 20 and the optical fibers 14(1)-14(8) bonded together at the furcation assembly 10. As a result, the cable forces from the strength members 20 may propagate to the optical fibers 14(1)-14(8) held taut by the potting compound 24 where damage and/or attenuation may occur. Also, if the furcation body 22 has a larger outer diameter than the cable jacket 18, the furcation body 22 is not easily pulled through increasingly smaller conduits at installation sites, and furcation alternatives that are more easily pulled would be desirable.